ExodusPoint Capital Management LP Acquires 52,226 Shares of Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV)

ExodusPoint Capital Management LP lifted its stake in Valvoline Inc. (NYSE:VVV) by 56.9% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 144,048 shares of the basic materials company’s stock after purchasing an additional 52,226 shares during the quarter. ExodusPoint Capital Management LP’s holdings in Valvoline were worth $5,212,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in Valvoline by 0.8% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 12,893,648 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $466,492,000 after buying an additional 101,834 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of Valvoline by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 4,096,436 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $171,436,000 after purchasing an additional 16,916 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Valvoline by 2.5% in the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 2,226,769 shares of the basic materials company’s stock worth $93,215,000 after purchasing an additional 54,545 shares in the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Valvoline by 1.0% during the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,642,754 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $59,435,000 after purchasing an additional 16,912 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. increased its stake in Valvoline by 28.5% during the 4th quarter. Vaughan Nelson Investment Management L.P. now owns 1,577,313 shares of the basic materials company’s stock valued at $57,067,000 after purchasing an additional 349,778 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.13% of the company’s stock.

Valvoline Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:VVV opened at $34.57 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $36.64 and its 200-day moving average price is $38.39. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.70 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 4.39. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.39 billion, a PE ratio of 16.54 and a beta of 1.32. Valvoline Inc. has a twelve month low of $32.99 and a twelve month high of $48.27.

Valvoline (NYSE:VVV) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 6th. The basic materials company reported $0.32 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.31 by $0.01. Valvoline had a net margin of 16.34% and a return on equity of 143.64%. Equities research analysts expect that Valvoline Inc. will post 1.63 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at Valvoline

In other Valvoline news, insider Julie Marie O’daniel sold 6,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.41, for a total transaction of $224,460.00. Following the sale, the insider now owns 15,305 shares in the company, valued at approximately $572,560.05. This trade represents a 28.16 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 0.66% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on VVV. TD Cowen began coverage on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Friday. They issued a “buy” rating and a $40.00 target price on the stock. Morgan Stanley reiterated an “equal weight” rating and set a $38.00 target price (down from $42.00) on shares of Valvoline in a research note on Tuesday, January 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on Valvoline from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. TD Securities assumed coverage on Valvoline in a research report on Friday. They set a “buy” rating and a $40.00 price objective on the stock. Finally, Mizuho reduced their price objective on Valvoline from $46.00 to $42.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Monday, January 6th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eight have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $43.67.

About Valvoline

Valvoline Inc engages in the operation and franchising of vehicle service centers and retail stores in the United States and Canada. The company, through its service centers, provides fluid exchange for motor oil, transmission and differential fluid, and coolant; parts replacement for batteries, filters, wiper blades, and belts; and safety services, such as tire inflation and rotation, bulbs, and safety checks.